For all its period grandness, Cuil Min in Blackrock is a comfortable, family home

Sydney Avenue is one of those places that sets people who care about such things musing on trophy homes and record-setting prices.

Springfield broke auction records in July of 2013 when it made €2.9 million, while Eagle Lodge had made the same amount, this time by private treaty, in the nervously emerging market of February 2012 (the latter house had failed to sell for €10 million in 2008).

This makes the auction, by Knight Frank, of Cuil Min, 56 Sydney Avenue, on September 18th, worth watching, especially as the current owners bought the house for €1.9 million in April 2010, and the forthcoming auction has an AMV of €2.75 million.

So does four years make almost a million’s worth of difference? There is, of course, far more to it than that. The owners, who enjoy doing up and turning around period properties, have rewired and reroofed, restored original features, uncovered and polished up rich hardwood floors, turned nine bedrooms into five large ones, four of which are ensuite, and added a huge and extremely sunny kitchen complete with Aga.

They have given love, care and resources to approximately 354sq m (3,810sq ft) of living accommodation.

The house is bounded by high stone and brick walls, secured by electric gates. There are lawns, mature trees and parking for at least six cars.

Plenty of room

Inside it’s a nice mixture of comfortable and impressive.

The owners have three children, and there’s plenty of room for growing families to find their own space, including a brilliant and enormous top-floor bedroom/ playroom up in the eaves, which has its own en suite. A super storage room could become a sixth bedroom if necessary.

On the ground floor two reception rooms at the front have sliding panelled doors which can be opened to make a big entertainment space – 30 sat down for Christmas dinner last year – while there’s a cosy yet spacious den further back alongside the massive new kitchen which is a surprisingly peaceful spot to hang out in.

‘Serene corner’

Cuil Min means “serene corner”, says the owner, and she’s right.

You’re practically next door to all the schools, shops, restaurants and amenities of Blackrock, with the Dart and bus services into Dublin on your doorstep too, but once inside the house you find yourself taking a deep breath and relaxing.

For all its period grandness and drama Cuil Min is a lovely family home, and the owners have done a super job of making it one you could relish coming home to.

What the auction results end up signalling about the current state of the post-summer-break market is another matter entirely.

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